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Cujo Collectible

1981 · The Viking Press (New York)
First-edition cover of Cujo
First-edition jacket (first (Wikipedia infobox)) · source

What it’s about

In the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, a friendly two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard named Cujo is bitten by a rabid bat and slowly turns into something monstrous. As the disease takes hold, a young mother and her four-year-old son drive out to a remote farmhouse for a routine car repair — and find themselves trapped in a stalling Pinto under a blazing sun, with the dog waiting outside. King winds the ordinary anxieties of a fraying marriage and a child's nightmares into a relentless tale of an everyday animal become a horror.

Significance A cornerstone Castle Rock novel (King's own, never Bachman), it won the 1982 British Fantasy Award and was adapted into the 1983 film starring Dee Wallace; King has said he was drinking so heavily during its writing that he barely remembers composing it.

Is this the true first?Yes. The trade issue is a hardcover (Viking, octavo, 319 pp). There was no paperback original and no small-press first to precede the trade text — the only "earlier or simultaneous" rival is the Mysterious Press signed/limited issue, also a hardcover and also 1981 (see trueFirstEdition).
CONTESTED, corrected from draft. Both the Viking trade hardcover and the Mysterious Press signed/numbered limited are dated 1981 and were issued in September 1981. The draft asserted the Mysterious Press "FOLLOWED" the Viking trade; documented collector sources do NOT support that one-sided claim — several (viaLibri/VeryFineBooks, an AbeBooks dealer copy) describe the Mysterious Press limited as having "preceded the trade edition" or being simultaneous, and auction houses (Bonhams, Heritage) catalog the Mysterious Press as "FIRST EDITION, LIMITED ISSUE." Honest position: precedence between the two 1981 issues is disputed in the trade; they are best treated as a simultaneous deluxe-vs-trade pairing. The Viking trade is the standard, recognized true-first TRADE hardcover; the Mysterious Press signed/numbered (750) + lettered (26) is the deluxe signed issue and the more valuable book. This is NOT a Grant Dark Tower / Philtrum Eyes of the Dragon situation where a small-press limited unambiguously precedes a later trade — here both carry the 1981 date and ship together.

First-printing points at a glance

First-printing statementCopyright page reads: "First published in 1981 by The Viking Press". Viking did NOT print the words "First Edition" for this title. The first printing is identified by this statement TOGETHER WITH the printing-key string still containing the numeral "1" (see numberLine) and the unclipped $13.95 jacket bearing the "0981" flap code. Confirmed across Evening Land Books, Tenth Legion, Last Exit Books, and the official Stephen King "Identifying First Editions" guide (Bev Vincent, updated 2024). Address note: 1981 first printings carry Viking's 625 Madison Avenue address; the firm moved to 40 West 23rd Street in March 1983, so a 23rd-Street address indicates a post-1983 printing.
Number lineViking printing-key string. Per the OFFICIAL Stephen King "Identifying First Editions" guide, the controlling test for King titles that use a number string is "the presence of the numeral 1 in that string, regardless of the format of the numbers." The guide gives three acceptable first-printing variants verbatim: "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10", "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2", and "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" — all three denote a first edition. A LATER printing has the lowest numerals struck from the bottom of the descending line (e.g., a string "beginning with 8" = eighth printing; documented later-printing rows such as "4 5 6 7 8 9" lack the 1 and are NOT firsts). KEY TEST: numeral "1" present anywhere in the string = first printing. CORRECTION: an aggregator snippet that claimed "4 5 6 7 8 9 indicates a first edition" is WRONG — that row is missing the 1 and is a later printing. A single canonical full row for Cujo is not uniformly quoted across dealer listings (Viking used the descending format), but the numeral-1 test is the controlling, source-confirmed rule.
Gutter / printer codeN/A for the Viking trade first — Viking did not use Doubleday gutter codes. NOTE: the BOOK-CLUB edition of Cujo, being Doubleday-printed, DOES carry a gutter code at the foot of one of the last text pages; documented Cujo BCE codes include "L35" and "L44." A gutter code's PRESENCE is a BCE tell, NOT a first-edition point.
First printing — copies~150,000 copies (first trade printing, The Viking Press, 1981). accepted figure
First jacket price$13.95 (Upper inner front jacket flap. The first-printing flap also carries the date/issue code "0981" (i.e., 9/81). A price-clipped flap removes the $13.95 and lowers value; a flap printed "Book Club Edition" (or simply lacking the price) signals a BCE jacket. Confirmed on Tenth Legion, Evening Land Books, First & Fine, and multiple eBay/AbeBooks first-edition listings.)
Board (panel) colorBrown / tan paper-covered boards (the panels), with the author's initials "SK" stamped in silver on the upper (front) board. Confirmed via Evening Land Books and Raptis-style dealer descriptions ("brown paper-covered boards … author's initials stamped in silver on front cover").
Spine / center bindingBlack cloth backstrip (spine). The book is QUARTER-BOUND: quarter black cloth spine over brown/tan paper-covered boards (two-tone). Spine titling is stamped in silver and copper/brown ("titles stamped in silver and copper on spine"). The black-CLOTH spine is the single most reliable structural separator from the book-club edition, which substitutes black CARD BOARD.
Binding styleQuarter-bound, two-tone, sewn: quarter black CLOTH backstrip over brown/tan paper-over-boards. Octavo (~24.25 cm; ~9.5 x 6.375 in), pagination [xiv],[2],3-319,[3] pp (319 pp). The book-club edition imitates the look but substitutes black CARD BOARD for the black cloth on the spine — the single most reliable structural tell — and is typically cheaper paper.
Topstain / endpapersTopstain and endpaper specifics are not cited as first-edition identification points for Cujo by the consulted dealer/auction sources; no distinctive topstain is documented. Left UNVERIFIED rather than guessed.

Where to buy marker-checked

Live AbeBooks listings, checked against the seller's own photos. ✓ confirmed = a photo shows the decisive first-printing marker; cover only = ask the seller for the copyright-page shot before buying.

cover only — verify$195James Graham Booksellernot shown — no flap photographed; seller TEXT claims 'unclipped' but the $13.95 / 0981 flap code is not visible in any image. Exactly ONE photo on thecover only — verify$209.50Pat Cramer Booksellernot shown in any photo; seller TEXT claims a "$13.95 priced jacket" (unclipped) but no jacket-flap image to verify. DECISIVE FINDING: The listing has cover only — verify$250Daniel WoodruffNot shown in any photo. Seller TEXT claims '$13.95 on front flap' (unclipped) but the front jacket flap is tucked in and never photographed — price ca

Dust jacket

Front panel: dark, ominous illustration centered on the rabid St. Bernard's frothing jaws/teeth (Steven Stroud art); title and author lettering. Spine and rear panel carry standard Viking presentation; front inner flap bears the $13.95 price and the "0981" code. Rear wrapper carries the ISBN (0-670-45193-7 / 9780670451937). Jacket design attributed to R. Adelson.

Art / design: Jacket illustration (the frothing/snarling St. Bernard) by Steven Stroud (confirmed via AbeBooks listings and Suntup Editions, which licenses the Stroud cover art). Jacket DESIGN credited to R. Adelson on at least one dealer description. Stroud = illustrator; Adelson = designer.

reference photohttps://www.nocloo.com/cujo-stephen-king-1981-first-edition/reference photohttps://eveninglandbooks.com/product/0001243/reference photohttps://veryfinebooks.com/stephen-king-cujo-signed-limited-first-edition-mysterious-press-750-slipcased/
Book-club edition & fakes — how to spot a wrong copyThe Cujo book-club edition (BCE, Doubleday-printed for the clubs) is identified by: (1) black CARD BOARD imitating the quarter black-cloth spine — the true Viking first uses real black CLOTH (the most reliable structural tell, per First & Fine: first = "bound in quarter black cloth," BCE = "mimics this cloth with black card board"); (2) a small blind-stamp (indented dot/square) on the lower-right of the REAR board; (3) a Doubleday GUTTER CODE at the foot of one of the last text pages — documented Cujo BCE codes include "L35" AND "L44" (the Viking trade first carries NO gutter code); (4) thinner/cheaper paper; (5) a jacket flap that normally lacks a price or states "Book Club Edition." BEWARE: many BCE bodies are sold wearing a married Viking $13.95/"0981" jacket, so the $13.95 jacket ALONE does NOT prove a first — verify the BLACK CLOTH spine and the absence of a rear-board blind-stamp and gutter code on the body itself.

Also watch for: (1) MARRIED JACKETS — the Viking $13.95/"0981" jacket is routinely placed over a book-club body; confirm the BODY (black CLOTH spine, no rear-board blind-stamp, no gutter code) before trusting the jacket. (2) Price-clipped jackets hide the $13.95 and depress value. (3) Book-club bodies misrepresented as firsts (black card board vs cloth spine; rear-board blind-stamp; gutter code L35 or L44). (4) Facsimile/reproduction jackets. (5) Ex-library copies (stamps, pockets, spine labels). (6) Remainder marks to the bottom text block. (7) "Signed" trade copies — verify provenance; the Mysterious Press limited is the authoritative signed issue. (8) Post-1983 reprints carrying the 40 West 23rd Street address misrepresented as 1981 firsts.

Print run & scarcity

The ~150,000-copy first-printing figure is cited consistently across specialist King-dealer descriptions (Evening Land Books and others note "a first edition of 150,000 copies, which is moderate for King standards"). It is a dealer-consensus number rather than a Viking-published official figure, so treat it as well-attested but not contractually documented. Separately, The Mysterious Press issued a signed limited edition of exactly 750 numbered copies (a documented, contractually stated limitation) — that 750 figure IS firm. The large 150k trade run is why unsigned fine copies stay affordable despite "first edition" status; scarcity lives in fine/fine condition and in signed copies, not in the printing itself.

First-state points & errata

No first-vs-later TEXT-state errata documented for Cujo (unlike some Doubleday titles). Identification is structural/external: (1) "First published in 1981 by The Viking Press" copyright statement; (2) numeral "1" present in the printing key; (3) unclipped $13.95 jacket with "0981" flap code; (4) quarter BLACK CLOTH spine (BCE substitutes black card board); (5) 625 Madison Ave address (post-March-1983 reprints show 40 West 23rd St). UNVERIFIED: any first-vs-later text state.

Limited & signed editions

The Mysterious Press, New York, 1981 — signed limited: 750 numbered copies signed by Stephen King on a limitation leaf bound at the REAR of the book, PLUS 26 lettered (A-Z) copies (lettered not originally offered for public sale). Binding: maroon/burgundy cloth, front cover and spine stamped/lettered in gilt (Bonhams: "stamped in gilt with images of saint bernards"); issued in a matching maroon/burgundy cloth SLIPCASE; NO dust jacket as issued (acetate/Mylar protector only). Value (stephenkingcollector): numbered ~$1,100-$1,500; lettered ~$4,000-$4,500. Cataloged by auction houses (Bonhams, Heritage) as "First Edition, Limited Issue."

Market value estimate

~$300–$700

Assumes a genuine first edition / first printing in near-fine to fine condition (clean copy, unclipped jacket). Lesser condition is worth less.

No confirmed sale found, so this is rated at no less than its original jacket price — a true first/first should hold at least retail in near-fine/fine condition. Soft estimate from dealer listings (treat as approximate): $300–700 (genuine unsigned first trade edition, first printing, fine/fine, unclipped $13.95 / "0981" jacket). Signed/inscribed trade firsts jump to ~$2,000–6,000+.

Book-club edition (the trap): $15–50. The Book Club Edition (BCE) is the constant trap and is what most cheap "1981 first edition" listings actually are. It looks nearly identical but is worth a small fraction. — a fraction of a true first; never pay first-edition money for one.

Condition is everything: the trade first had a large 150,000-copy run, so only fine/fine, UNCLIPPED copies carry real value — a clipped jacket, ex-library stamp, or fading drops a copy toward $50–150. Signed/inscribed is the big multiplier: an authentic King signature/inscription on a trade first takes it to ~$2,000–6,000+ (Bauman/Raptis/First and Fine territory), and the separate Mysterious Press signed limited of 750 is its own ~$1,200–2,500 object. THE SINGLE BIGGEST THING THAT SEPARATES A REAL FIRST FROM THE MISLISTED COPIES OF THIS TITLE: for Cujo the points are INVERTED from King's Doubleday novels — Cujo is VIKING, not Doubleday, so there is NO Doubleday gutter code on a true first; in fact a gutter code (e.g. "L35") indicates the BOOK CLUB EDITION. The genuine first is identified by the unclipped jacket showing the "$13.95" price AND "0981" date code on the front flap, "First published in 1981 by The Viking Press" on the copyright page, and a true quarter-black-cloth binding (the BCE fakes the cloth with black-coated cardboard boards, has the gutter code, and feels lighter/cheaper). Married/facsimile jackets and price-clipped flaps are the other two common dressed-up traps.

Value sources:

Sources

Verification notes: INDEPENDENT sources added (not in original draft sources[]): Evening Land Books (full first-printing description: brown boards, black cloth backstrip, silver+copper spine stamping, silver SK on front board, [xiv],[2],3-319,[3] pp); Bonhams auction (Mysterious Press limitation, maroon cloth + slipcase, "stamped in gilt with images of saint bernards"); Old Al's Books (BCE gutter code L35); eBay BCE listing (gutter code L44 — NEW, draft only had L35); Suntup Editions (confirms Steven Stroud as cover artist); First & Fine BCE listing (verbatim "bound in quarter black cloth" first vs "mimics this cloth with black card board" BCE); stephenkingcollector limited page (numbered ~$1,100-1,500, lettered ~$4,000-4,500, signed limitation sheet at rear); Last Exit Books / AbeBooks (first-printing trade); viaLibri / VeryFineBooks (Mysterious Press "preceded the trade edition"). DISCREPANCIES vs draft: (1) PRECEDENCE — draft said Mysterious Press "FOLLOWS" Viking trade; sources contradict (precede/simultaneous/disputed) — corrected to "contested, best treated as simultaneous deluxe-vs-trade." (2) NUMBER LINE — a web aggregator snippet claimed "4 5 6 7 8 9 = first"; this is FALSE per the official King guide (that row lacks the numeral 1 = later printing). Draft's underlying rule (1 present = first) is CORRECT and now sourced verbatim from the official guide ("1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10" / "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" / "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" all denote firsts). (3) BCE GUTTER CODE — draft listed only L35; added documented L44. (4) JACKET CREDIT — added designer R. Adelson alongside illustrator Steven Stroud. (5) LETTERED VALUE — sharpened from draft's vague "materially higher" to ~$4,000-$4,500. (6) ADDRESS POINT — added 625 Madison Ave (1981) vs 40 West 23rd St (post-March-1983) as a printing discriminator. UNVERIFIED (flagged, not guessed): exact single canonical number-line row for Cujo; topstain color; endpaper specifics.

confidence: high — Copyright statement, $13.95 price + "0981" flap code, quarter black CLOTH over brown/tan boards with silver "SK", silver/copper spine titling, Steven Stroud jacket art, and the Mysterious Press 750+26 limited are each cross-confirmed across two or more independent dealer/auction sources plus the official King guide. The number-line rule (numeral 1 = first) is confirmed verbatim from the official guide. Medium-confidence/unverified-and-flagged items: exact single canonical full number-line row for Cujo; topstain/endpaper specifics. Corrected vs draft: Mysterious Press precedence (draft's "follows" is not supported — sources say precede/simultaneous/disputed); added BCE gutter code L44; added jacket designer R. Adelson; refined lettered-copy value to ~$4,000-$4,500; flagged the draft's erroneous "4 5 6 7 8 9 = first" aggregator claim.← Back to all titles